The guidelines for local decisions on where and to what extent settlement development should be implemented can be found in the regional plan based on the requirements of the state development plan. The core of the guiding principle enshrined therein is the definition of regional and state development axes. Associated with this are the two categories "settlement area" for municipalities assigned to development axes and "municipalities limited to self-development" for municipalities outside the development axes. While the development of the latter is derived from the needs of the resident population or companies, for municipalities in the settlement area, immigration or new settlements should also be taken into account when designating residential and commercial development areas.

If the conditions change compared to the corresponding stipulations in the current regional plan, as is currently the case for the Murrtal area, where the extension of the S-Bahn line S4 in 2012 beyond Marbach to Backnang means that this section can be allocated to an efficient public transport system, the regional plan can be amended via a regional plan amendment procedure with the participation of affected municipalities, planning authorities and other public agencies and the public.

In December 2020, the regional assembly initiated the regional plan amendment procedure to define a new regional development axis between the medium-sized centers of Ludwigsburg/Kornwestheim and Backnang. Along this new development axis, the municipalities of Affalterbach, Burgstetten, Erdmannhausen and Kirchberg an der Murr, which were previously limited to their own development, are to be designated as settlement areas and thus given more scope for the designation of residential and commercial areas.

Based on the results of the two participation procedures carried out for the regional plan amendment and consideration of all comments received, the regional assembly adopted the amendment to the regional plan as a statute on 30.03.2022. All those who submitted comments as part of the participation procedure were informed of the outcome of the participation procedure and how their comments were dealt with. The Ministry of Regional Development and Housing approved the amendment to the regional plan in a document dated 16.03.2023 and thus declared it binding.

• Amendment of the regional plan